OAK WILT: FACT AND FICTION

By Shane Kiefer, Senior Wildlife Biologist, San Antonio Region

Oak wilt is a very real and very important concern among Texas landowners. Oak wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum, is one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States. The bad news is that it occurs in over 60 Texas counties and will never completely disappear. The good news is that with some basic knowledge about how and why oak wilt spreads, you can take steps to help prevent infections on your land.

The oak wilt fungus kills by clogging the water conducting system of the tree. All oaks are susceptible to oak wilt, but white oaks, such as post, bur, and chinkapin oaks are very resistant to the disease. Red oaks such as Texas, pin, and blackjack oaks are extremely susceptible and often die within a few weeks of apparent symptoms. Red oaks act as breeding grounds for the fungus and serve as sources of new infections. Under the right conditions, fungal mats may form under the bark of a red oak. These mats often create cracks in the bark and emit a fruity odor. Tiny, sap-feeding Nitidulid beetles are attracted to these mats and feed on them, gathering fungal spores as they do. When the beetles find a fresh wound on another oak they feed on the sap and transmit the spores, infecting the tree. This is how new infection centers are created in live oaks.

Live oaks are probably the most obvious victims of the disease because they die in the largest numbers. This is due to the common growth habit of live oaks in which they form motts with interconnected root systems that allow the rapid spread of the fungus from tree to tree once an infection occurs. Infected trees often die within 6-12 months.

Red oaks often do not exhibit any clear symptoms. Typically, the leaves will pale and brown during an unusual time of year. The tree dies shortly thereafter. The presence of fungal mats is a reliable indicator of oak wilt in red oaks. In live oaks, veinal necrosis and veinal banding are good diagnostic indicators of oak wilt. The area around the leaf veins will darken and then turn brown while the rest of the leaf remains green. Diagnosis can be confirmed through isolation of the fungus in a laboratory.

Since the disease only spreads in two ways and new infections are only established by beetles feeding on wounded oak trees, by taking precautions you can help prevent the spread of oak wilt. Fungal mats tend to form during mild, spring-like weather, when beetles are most abundant. You should avoid pruning oaks during these times to reduce the chance of infection. Winter and summer are good times to prune your trees, while spring is the worst time for these activities, even though it may be the nicest time to work outside. No matter when you prune, you should always immediately paint your cuts or any wounds on your oak trees with pruning paint or standard latex paint. Contaminated beetles may be present at any time and painting will prevent them from feeding on the sap from fresh wounds. Tree health, age, and size have no impact on susceptibility to oak wilt so you should always paint cuts on oaks, no matter how healthy they are.

Good land stewardship is the best defense against long-term damage from diseases and the best way to ensure its beauty and function in the future despite any type of disturbance. Oak wilt is not an imported disease. It is a native fungus that has been in North America and Texas for a long time. It actually serves a purpose, much like other seemingly destructive agents such as fire. Pockets of dead trees provide foraging habitat for woodpeckers and nesting cavities for songbirds. A healthy and diverse shrub layer and a well distributed age structure in the woodlands meant that there was always something to replace oaks that succumbed to oak wilt or other diseases. Imagine the damage that could be done if the only woody plants on your property were live oaks. If you walk through the woods and see no young oaks, hackberry, cherry, or walnut, imagine how long it will take to recover if oak wilt or another natural destructive agent strikes. Controlling deer numbers to prevent damage to young oaks and other species, brush management, and encouraging diversity in your woody plants by planting native shrubs and trees other than oaks can help your land support a more diverse and resistant habitat.

Talk to your Plateau biologist about how to improve the health of your woodlands to ensure that even if disaster strikes, your land will recover and continue to provide quality wildlife habitat and enjoyment for you and your children.

Information in this article was derived from various publications of the Texas Forest Service. For more information, including pictures and diagrams see texasoakwilt.org.

THE CEO’S CORNER: BEYOND BP

By David Braun

As I write, Americans are seeing nightly news images of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is too early to tell just how extensive the environmental damage to the Gulf of Mexico will ultimately be, or even how many barrels of oil will be spilled. The worst fears for environmental catastrophe may not be realized, but most experts agree there will be significant long-term damage as a result of the spill, and that it will cost billions of dollars to clean up.

As bad as the BP spill is, I believe that our focus on the single incident misses the larger point. The Gulf of Mexico and all our waterways receive millions of small injuries on a daily basis (and have for decades) which are noticed by only a few concerned scientists and experts. Pollutants of all sorts are washing into our rivers and streams and making their way to the Gulf of Mexico every year in quantities that dwarf the daily output of the damaged oil well. Pesticides, fertilizers, petroleum products of all types, soil erosion and just plain garbage, all the byproducts of our modern lifestyle, wash off our land and streets and rooftops with every rainfall and do massive damage which goes unreported, in fact almost unnoticed, by the general public.

No matter how well we regulate the BPs of the world, we will not stop these small, independent acts of pollution until we educate and change the behavior of our whole society. The biggest challenge is to influence and change the decisions by millions of individual landowners and citizens all through the watersheds in which we live. I'm happy to say that Plateau's work with Texas landowners gives me hope that we are making real, lasting progress.

We see a trend of improved awareness and attention to stewardship emerging among the thousands of landowners we assist who are making the choice to adopt beneficial land and wildlife management practices. Every landowner who plants native grasses and restores wildlife habitat is helping to increase filtering and break down of pollutants before they reach the waterways. Every landowner who constructs a water retention feature or improves their grazing practices is helping to limit runoff of silt and waste into the ocean.

We sense an exciting growth of this trend as more and more landowners join the community of enlightened wildlife managers who seek advice from the Plateau team. As we enter our second decade of service to Texas landowners, Plateau is investing in new capacity and expanding the scope of its services, so we can help willing landowners do even more. In this edition of Seasons you will meet new members of our staff and be introduced to the new services we are offering through Plateau PLUS. It is this increasing demand from landowners that gives me hope that after the oil stops leaking we will eventually also stop the daily unintended, and ultimately more harmful, degradation of our environment.

David Braun is the CEO of Plateau Land & Wildlife Management and founder of law firm Braun & Associates.

INTRODUCING PLATEAU PLUS

Plateau Land Use Services officially launches.

As part of the Plateau family, the people behind Plateau PLUS have been in the business of helping rural landowners protect and enhance their greatest asset -- their land -- since 1997. Our wildlife biologist consultants and unsurpassed field professionals set us apart from other companies. Our services, combining the aesthetic, the practical, and the ecological, are delivered by an insured team of professionals.

For more information on all of our services including brush management, water features, rainwater collection, solar installation, ranch roads, and fencing, please visit our just launched website at PlateauPlus.com.

ADVENTURES IN BRUSH MANAGEMENT

Or how I dragged myself off the phone and started dragging.

By Kameron Bain

Growing up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I witnessed the magic and the majesty of nature. However, I never understood what it meant to be a true steward of the land until I came to work at Plateau. During the past three years, as a member of the Plateau team, I have been immersed in a continuing education on what it takes to be a responsible private landowner. As a member of Plateau's office staff, that education has come within the confines of a comfortable office, via biologist reports and technician tales from the trenches. But when I was promoted to the business development team, I knew I could not effectively sell Plateau's services without hands-on experience. I needed to really learn what our landowners take on throughout the year.

Because the Plateau team is definitely one of action, within the blink of an eye I found myself transported from my office chair to the cab of a pick up, and on the road to my first Plateau adventure in brush management. Truth be told, I was nervous, but on our ride to the client property, Plateau Ecologist Eric Wallgren eased my nerves by going over what to expect. Eric provided safety tips and assured me I would not get hurt. Maybe dirty, but not hurt.

As a firm believer that dressing the part helps you act the part, I was pleased that once we arrived at the property we suited up, head to toe, in protective gear. As we set off for the job site, I settled into the back of the truck where I caught sight of a deer moving through the trees. A common picture in these parts to be sure, but not an everyday occurrence in New Hampshire and, even after three years, the novelty and thrill has not warn off. As I blithely lifted my head to take in all the lovely sights and sounds of our Hill Country ...THWACK! I was whacked in the face with a low-hanging tree branch.

First lesson learned.

After smartly ducking for the remainder of our journey to the job site, next lessons leaned were the dos and don'ts of the scary monster the techs call the shredder. Not in the mood to lose any limbs, I paid close attention to the technical aspects of brush management. But, perhaps more importantly, I learned Plateau's ecological approach to brush management. Plateau strives to not only enhance the beauty of the land, but also improve the habitat. Whether it be straight logs for erosion control or converting all remaining branches to mulch, nothing cut down is wasted.

When the official work began, it finally sank in that I was actually about to do this! With all engines running, the tech team dove into doing what they do best -- working hard. I was impressed with the seamless work style of the tech team. Everyone stepped into a task that needed to be filled without debate or discussion. They worked the shredder and chainsaws like it was second nature and they truly made the job seem effortless.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all!

I quickly decided the best task for me to take on was dragging the brush piles to the shredder. While this appeared to be the least complicated job, I soon learned it was in no way easy. The brush piles and I had many battles royal throughout the day, and I had the scratches and bruises to prove it. Although at times it took all my might, I felt quite strong and victorious when I could find that one branch that would allow me to drag the entire pile to the shredder.

During the first hour I felt good, and remember thinking "Hey, this is really isn't that bad. I can do this." Then, as the hours passed and the sun grew stronger, my drags downgraded from smaller loads to smallish branches to throwing twigs. I ended the day by kicking the brush around with my feet. I was exhausted, dirty, sweaty, and beat-up. To this very day, I do not know how our tech team does this day in and day out. I always knew they worked hard, but I now had a first hand experience and profound appreciation for what they do for Plateau and landowners.

Finally, my work was done. This was certainly the hardest physical labor I had experienced in the past decade. But I was truly rewarded when I looked behind me and saw what a difference we made in just one day. The trail we created made this piece of the property look more open, beautiful, and, after tangling with brush all day, more free. I thought about how our client landowner would enjoy his property more because he could actually walk about and enjoy the sounds of the stream we had uncovered.

Thank you to Steve, Eric, Romey, and Jake for their patience, their knowledge, and their graciousness in letting me work side by side with them. Not only were they doing their job, and doing it well, but they were helping and watching out for me all day. Their expertise, skill, and work ethic are inspiring. I am truly honored to be on the same team with all of them.

Until my next Plateau adventure, have a great summer!

Kameron Bain grew up in Conway, New Hampshire nestled in the heart of the Mount Washington Valley. She graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamdon, Connecticut in 2002 with a BA in Mass Communications. Tired of the cold, six years ago she decided to move to the warmth and Texas. She joined the team at Plateau Land & Wildlife Management three years ago as the receptionist. Today, she works on the Business Development team focusing on what she loves best, helping clients.

For more information, on Plateau's brush management services (Kameron not included), contact us today!

TIMING IS EVERYTHING: SUMMER AND WILDLIFE

The halfway point in any endeavor is a milestone, and the month of July marks that point for the year. You may have heard us say it before, but we believe summer to be a great time to pull out your wildlife management plan and assess your progress. Have you completed at least half of your wildlife management activities for 2010? County appraisal districts generally conduct their appraisals between September and March (but it can be any time of the year), so don't wait until late in the year, particularly as many activities are season specific.

Take a moment to re-familiarize yourself with your plan, and make sure you're staying on top of your wildlife management activities. If Plateau wrote your wildlife management plan, an easy starting point is with your Wildlife Management Planning Matrix, the one page summary spreadsheet created by Plateau to help landowners easily visualize the activities that are to be conducted over a five year window, making short and long range goals more assessable at a glance. Review the 2010 column for the activities you are responsible for this year.

Ideally, this should be done at regular intervals throughout the year beginning in January so that "season specific" activities can be done at the appropriate times. For example, a songbird census is typically done in the spring, while a deer census (both spotlight count and browse survey) is typically conducted from late summer through fall.

Summer is prime time for the following activities:

• Developing a brush management plan so implementation can start in the fall/winter. A consulting site visit by a Plateau biologist to ensure wildlife management activities are on track for the year.
• Implementing chemical control now through July and August.
• Starting deer surveys, including spotlight and camera surveys. Plateau can also assist with MLDP paperwork filings (due August 15).
• Constructing pond/wildlife water features during the dry months.
• Planning trail construction to start after September 1st (as cutting could possibly go through woodland habitat).
• Assuming the rains continue, this fall will be an excellent time to reseed native warm season grasses.

Plateau can help you meet all of your wildlife management goals. Contact us today for more information!

INTRODUCING KASEY MOCK

Kasey Mock has joined the Plateau Land & Wildlife Management team as Business Development Coordinator. The addition of Kasey, who joins Plateau from Texas Agrilife Extension Service, further expands the company's roster of seasoned land and wildlife management professionals. Kasey's tenure as an Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, as well as his personal involvement in local organizations including the Independent Cattleman's Association, Hays County Livestock Show Association, Cypress Creek Watershed Project, and Hill Country Alliance, brings a depth and diversity of knowledge to Plateau.

"To date, Plateau has brought close to 2,000 clients and a half-million acres of Texas land into wildlife management, but we also work with landowners seeking a balance between wildlife and agriculture," said Ken Thigpen, Director of Sales and Marketing. "Kasey's work and personal history exemplify that balance, and we could not be more pleased to welcome him to the team. His addition will not only be an asset to Plateau, but to Texas rural landowners as well."

Welcome aboard, Kasey!

THE QUEST FOR SUCCESS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST INVASIVES

When a city's nature preserve faced a serious wildlife threat, the experts at Plateau Land & Wildlife Management joined forces with an inspiring and dedicated corps of volunteers and a Central Texas municipality to help save a wildlife gem from an invasive species invasion.

When hiking through these woodlands, rich with mature oaks and old Texas persimmons, crossing creeks, and listening to the calls of birds overhead, it would be easy to forget you are communing with nature in the heart of a bustling city. Located on nearly 40 acres in an urban area, this nature preserve hosts unique geology, natural springs, and some of the only habitat available for wildlife in the area.

But this urban gem in a municipality's nature preserves system also bore the unfortunate results of generations of human error.

Staring down one of the most pressing issues in open space areas in and around urban areas, dedicated volunteers and the experts at Plateau Land & Wildlife Management worked together to halt an unwelcome foreign invasion and serious threat to its native wildlife. Concerned neighbors, friends, agencies and other partners, fought back against an invasion of non-native plant species.

While municipalities frequently rely considerably on volunteers to manage natural areas, these volunteers are not allowed, for safety reasons, to operate brush management equipment. When certain trees such as ligustrum call for chainsaws and chippers, and shrubs such as nandina require herbicide treatment, which most volunteers are not equipped or certified to handle, qualified alternatives must be sourced.

Enter Plateau.

Plateau's Senior Wildlife Biologist, Keith Olenick, and the city collaborated on a strategic plan that would leverage Plateau's vast land management expertise and resources with the past efforts of the city and its volunteers. By establishing a more systematic attack on these ruthless exotics, impacts to native vegetation vital to wildlife for food and cover sources would be minimized. Olenick's ground work assessed the damage done, and led to a way to stem the tide of these dense stands of invasives that create wildlife-poor monocultures.

"Healthy, diverse native plant communities provide better habitat for wildlife," explains Olenick. "But it was the actions by human communities that ultimately led to the situation the nature preserve faced today."

In this case, the main invasive species affecting the preserve is Japanese privet or ligustrum. While some ligustrum was first introduced to the Central Texas area in the mid 1800s, even today's increased knowledge and widespread information on the plant's harmful effects has failed to slow its local commercial availability. Along with other exotic plants, the ligustrum is most likely being spread by cedar waxwings, robins and other birds who feast on the non-natives unwittingly or uncaringly planted in nearby backyards. The birds, when in need of water, drink in the preserve's creek where they also pass digested seeds which take root and spread.

With Olenick's biological expertise and a team of professional field service technicians, Plateau's ecologically smart work laid the foundation for the city to use volunteers to make further improvements such as moving the downed non-natives. Use of volunteers has allowed the city to accomplish large amounts of manual labor, leaving much of the technical work such as plant identification on difficult plants and herbicide application to Plateau.

"We have a tremendous arsenal of tools and techniques to do an effective job in an environmentally safe way," explains Olenick. "We use aquatic-safe herbicides, we know the difference between natives and non-natives that may look similar, and we have the experience and knowledge to maximize efficiency in this battle."

Since Plateau has started chipping away at the invasives, volunteers have noted a noticeable difference in the area. Preserve visitors can once again see creeks and native riparian vegetation. As a bonus, the mulch from ground-up ligustrum has softened trail surface and controlled erosion.

Ultimately, in the invasives battle, it will take professional knowledge, civilian volunteers, and a persistence and passion by all to preserve and protect the native wildlife

"The synergistic relationship between Plateau and the volunteers makes for greater work efficiency and maximizes the value of the money being spent by the city and other fundraising organizations," says Olenick. "I'm really excited about the opportunity Plateau has had to be an instrumental part of the work being done, and look forward to helping more municipal nature preserves in Texas."

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Economic and ecological cost of non-native plant species
Invading alien species in the United States cause major environmental damages and losses adding up to almost $120 billion per year. There are approximately 50,000 foreign species and the number is increasing. About 42% of the species on the threatened or endangered species lists are at risk primarily because of alien-invasive species.

(Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. David Pimentel, Rodolfo Zuniga and Doug Morrison. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University).
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TexasInvasives.org
TexasInvasives.org is a partnership created to manage non-native invasive plants and pests in Texas. The partnership includes state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, green industry, academia and other private and public stakeholders who share in the common goal of protecting Texas from the threat of invasive species. For more information on invasive plant species, the organization, and how you can help stop the spread, visit TexasInvasives.org.

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For more information on Plateau's invasives control and brush management, contact us today!

SNAKES ON A BRAIN: THE EASTERN HOG-NOSED SNAKE

By Romey Swanson of Plateau Land & Wildlife Management

Snakes.

Just the word can elicit a visceral and polar reaction. You are either in the category of people whose skin crawls as visions of tangles of cottonmouths (a myth) and 10 foot long rattlesnakes (another myth, although 6 footers in South Texas were once common) are evoked. Or you are in the minority of those who respect from a distance or even, dare I say, actually enjoy these critters. No matter what your response, it is essential to understand that these animals belong to a healthy ecosystem and are necessary components of a complex and elaborate set of relationships weaved together to create the environment in which we live. For those who read that previous sentence and thought something along the lines of "I don't think so, pal", I would like to challenge you to familiarize yourself with just a few of the more common snake species around, their natural history, what they do, where they live, and their relationships.

One snake that has an especially interesting natural history is the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake ("the hognose"). This large bodied serpent reaches lengths of 24-36 inches and can commonly be found in the sandy soils of open canopy woodlands of the eastern half of Texas. Within the Edwards Plateau, the hognose is considered less common but can be found along rivers, streams, and larger bodies of water where appropriate habitat is available. It prefers this habitat primarily because the hognose likes to bury in the loose sandy substrate and leaf litter during the heat of the day, and this habitat is where the hognose can find its favorite meal, toads. Not many animals will attempt to consume a toad whole. Just think back to the last time the family dog came back foaming at the mouth and slobbering everywhere! The hognose combats the poisonous quality of a toad's bufotoxin (a chemical depressant in the common toads of our area) by way of enlarged adrenal glands, which translates to increased adrenaline production. Ultimately, this allows the snake to consume a locally abundant food source and assist in keeping toad populations in check. The hognose even does well living in the midst of man where it commonly shows up in the well watered and loose soils of family gardens, where it feasts on the abundant Coastal Plains Toad (think "driveway" toad).

Perhaps even more interesting than its taste for toads, is the hognose defense mechanism which can be broken down in three phases. In phase one, the snake puffs up and hisses while holding its mouth agape, a common behavior among several species of snake. If pressed further, however, the snake will enter into phase two of the defense mechanism when it curls its tail while flaring the nape of its neck. The hognose shares this behavior with a much more famous group of snakes, the cobras. In this phase, the hognose may go as far as to strike. Although harmless and not known to be aggressive, I have experienced a "bite" from this snake and would describe it as more of a closed mouth punch that surprises more than hurts or harms -- and this only occurring after persistent molestation. Lastly, if this snake is pushed further, it will feign death, quickly contorting and wiggling as if in the final throes. All this while voiding its bowls, possibly regurgitating its last meal, and secreting foul green goo from its musk glands. Finally, the snake flips over onto its back while holding its mouth agape with the tongue hanging completely out. If you were to pick the snake up and correct its posture while in this phase, it will again roll over to its back all while showing no other signs of life. In short, if there were an Academy Award for best performance by a snake, the Oscar would go to the hognose.

Along with being a vital piece of a complex environmental puzzle, the hognose provides an interesting study on the complexities of animal behavior. It is also a prime example of a species that can co-exist in the presence of man and poses virtually no threat of harm, despite a menacing appearance. While few people will convert from fearing snakes to adoring them, it is fair to say that snakes are, indeed, "biblical" and not going anywhere anytime soon. Learning to understand, tolerate, and even appreciate their environmental purpose -- even if we don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity -- is all part of our collective conservation and preservation community.

For more information on the snakes of Texas, check out, Texas Snakes: A Field Guide by James R. Dixon.

Romey Swanson is a Plateau Products and Services Field Biologist. He received his M.S. in Wildlife Ecology in December 2009 from Texas State University. He is particularly interested in the natural history of Texas flora and fauna with a focus on mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Romey is an active member of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society and is currently pending certification as an Associate Wildlife Biologist from The Wildlife Society Certification Board.

WILDFLOWERS: MEXICAN HATS AND SCARLET LEATHERFLOWERS

From the common to the rare, this year has been a banner one for Texas wildflowers. While bluebonnets and those DYFs may take center stage for photographs during the blooming season, the Mexican Hat, or Prairie Coneflower, and the uncommon Scarlet Leatherflower deserve their moment in the spotlight.

Have you noticed yellow stains on the lower legs of your pants after walking your property?  Have you also noticed a brightly colored yellow and red flower in your fields?  For many Texans, blame for the clothing coloration can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnaris) and more specifically, the pollen of this hardy native.  Ranging from 1' to 4' in height, this bushy wildflower is poised for a great year due to adequate spring and summer rains. Mexican Hat derives its name from the flower itself which resembles a Mexican sombrero.  While not a preferred food item for deer or cattle, the nectar of this colorful prairie wildflower is utilized by a variety of insects. You can expect to see this plant blooming over the next couple of months. Next time it looks like someone dyed your pants yellow, you'll know the culprit.  - Keith Olenick, Plateau Senior Wildlife Biologist

Chalk it up to Texan pride, but one of my favorite things about this job and where I live is the chance to see things that can be seen nowhere else in the world, or to see things that give a hint of the tremendous potential diversity of life that can occur on well-managed land. While on a property in Kerr County recently, I happened upon a beautiful little plant that occurs in only a handful of counties in Texas and nowhere else in the world...Scarlet Leatherflower (Clematis texensis). It has a couple of more common relatives, Purple Leatherflower and Old Man's Beard, that may be familiar to you. The latter can be easily identified along fence lines all over south-central Texas when the "beards" appear in the late summer and fall. Scarlet Leatherflower is an uncommon little vine that sports fantastic, leathery-red flowers that almost seem too bulky for the delicate stems. It is typically found near streams in moist canyons and is just another one of the many beautiful plants and animals that you might find in healthy riparian or canyon woodland habitats. These are often special and sensitive habitats that may harbor species you never knew your land could support, and they deserve special attention when formulating your land management plans. - Shane Kiefer, Plateau Senior Wildlife Biologist

TWA LANDOWNER WORKSHOP & MEMBERSHIP EVENT

TWA Landowner Workshop & Membership Event
Freeman Ranch, San Marcos, September 2, 2010

The Texas Wildlife Association will hold a landowner workshop at the Freeman Ranch on September 2, 2010 from 1:30 - 5:00PM. This event, where Plateau's Kasey Mock will speak along with other wildlife professionals, focuses on wildlife management on smaller acreage and will give landowners usable ideas for their property. The event is free to the public and anyone who is interested in wildlife management is welcome to attend.

The educational program will be immediately followed by a Texas Wildlife Association membership social where attendees will have a chance to network with other landowners, managers, and wildlife enthusiasts.

For more information, visit the TWA website at texas-wildlife.org or contact Justin Dreibelbis at jdreibelbis@texas-wildlife.org.

SONGBIRDS SAVED: A COWBIRD TRAPPING UPDATE

In the spring issue of Seasons, we discussed the sad reality of Brown-headed Cowbirds, nest parasitism, and what it means to our native songbird populations. But the good news is some Texas landowners took action and, as result, songbirds have been saved.

By way of example, on one Travis County ranch, home to Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat, Plateau delivered and monitored one cowbird trap from early April through the end of May. The trap was located along a fence with cattle present on the neighboring property. A total of 49 male and 89 female cowbirds were caught and dispatched. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department reports that for each female cowbird caught, an additional 3.5 songbirds survive. Using this figure, the trapping that Plateau performed on this property resulted in 312 additional songbirds in western Travis County.

Plateau wraps up cowbird trapping in June as breeding season slows and the risk of trapping non-target birds (mainly juveniles) goes up. Trapping will begin again in March of 2011. For more information, contact us today!

WOMEN IN WILDLIFE: CATCHING UP WITH AMY GREER

Two years ago Biological Sciences Manager Amy Greer left Plateau to take care of the family ranch and we still miss her! Amy worked at Plateau from 2004 to 2008 and her decision to leave was a self-professed difficult one, but when her father called and said he needed her help running the family's historical ranch, Amy, with the support of her husband George, tearfully tendered her resignation to begin the important and honorable work of caring for over 7,000 acres of Texas open space. Amy has a Masters of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Texas State University and a passel of admirers at Plateau. Many of our clients no doubt remember Amy, so we caught up with her and life on the ranch in an email Q & A.

Your family ranch has quite a history, can you tell us about it?

The family ranch has been in our family since 1875. The Winters/Wall ranch, named after my ancestors, is just over 7,000 acres. My great-great grandfather, John Wall, brought the first Hereford cattle to the Central Texas area. My great grandfather, H D Winters, was one of the early pioneers of Angora goats and Rambouillet sheep in the area. The ranch ran large numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle. There was a period in the 1960s and 70s, I believe, when the ranch was leased to Texas A&M University. My father began operating the ranch himself after he retired as a Major from the Air Force. He has always run cattle and for many years ran goats. He also became very active in the exotic wildlife business. However, he never introduced exotics on the ranch we operate now. The ranch has operated on a year-round hunting lease basis for approximately 20 years. Harvests have been largely determined by long-term, well-trusted hunters.

How are wildlife/conservation principles applied at your ranch?

Gosh, I feel like I use my understanding of habitats on a daily basis. George and I try very hard to pay attention to the land and respond to what we see as quickly as possible. We utilize rotational grazing across the ranch to avoid overgrazing. The rotation rate varies with season, precipitation, expected long-term weather conditions, and overall plant condition. We also run less than 100 head of mother cows and are grazing below the suggested stocking rate for our area. We pay close attention to our pastures.

In years past, the property has been significantly overgrazed by goats and cattle. As a result, we have a large density of prickly pear and mesquite. We also have a significant problem with distaff thistle, which is native to the Mediterranean. We intend to try an experiment and train some of our young heifers to eat the stickery thistle. We have been working with NRCS and participating in various federal and state habitat improvement programs. Currently, we have approximately 300 acres of ox bows and ephemeral streams in a low area on the ranch enrolled in the Conservation Crop Reserve Program. This land cannot be grazed or utilized by livestock but can be used for recreation such as hunting, hiking, etc. Also, we worked with Environmental Defense Fund in 2009 to create a more grassy buffer around shinnery (Ed. Note: Dense growth of small trees) to enhance habitat for vireos. We also have two cowbird traps that we operate in the spring.

George and I develop an annual brush management plan so that we can determine how much area we can treat based on the size of our budget to use herbicide treatments on the problem plants over as much area as possible each year. We conducted a prescribed burn on September 1-2, 2009. Over two days, we burned about 1,200 acres. Our burn master was very, very good and the Edwards Plateau Prescribed Burn Association, along with many of our wonderful neighbors,  helped us get the job done. So many folks are nervous about fire, and I really, really understand that (our ranch caught on fire three times over the past two years), but all of those great volunteers made it happen with no problems at all. It has been wonderful to watch it come back so green and lush! We destroyed a lot of prickly pear, killed many small, regrowth mesquites, and really stimulated growth with that fire! George and I would both like to go through the burn school in Sonora. We try to help other folks with their burns as often as we can so that we will also be able to find help when we need it.

We actively monitor our deer herd and work very closely with our hunters to manage the population appropriately. We run deer surveys each summer and monitor photos from our hunters' game cameras in order to determine the numbers of does and bucks that can be taken each season. We have established goals for the characteristics of our buck population with the hunters and we are working toward those goals. We have a small population of feral axis deer which I am hoping to make some extra money on! These animals have come in from surrounding properties as we have not stocked the ranch.

Also, we keep fire ant bait in the truck and we use it.

We try to pay attention to the wildlife that we see on the ranch, and we  are always looking for balance.

Any advice for those seeking to move into wildlife and/or combine wildlife and ag?

Hmm. I wish I had managed to set up a reality show to film our lives when we first moved from Wimberley to the ranch. It would have made very good television! I guess I would just say to be prepared to make lots of mistakes, but you'll learn from them, quickly. It's hard work for sure. But remember that no matter how wrapped up you can get in all of it, you MUST take the time to just enjoy it!

It's a special life to live and George, my Dad and I all strive to be good stewards of this wonderful heritage.

THIS IS FOR THE BIRDS: WHITE-EYED VIREO

If you live in the Bandera area, our bird column now regularly appears in the Bandera County Courier. Our column on White-eyed Vireo appeared in this week's paper.

With its olive-green upperparts, yellow sides and flanks, the White-eyed Vireo is often visibly lost in the deciduous scrub and thickets of the abandoned and overgrown cultivated land it favors. But, if you’re lucky enough to spot the notoriously secretive White-eyed Vireo, the first characteristic you may notice is its unique white eyes surrounded by yellow spectacles. Indeed, this small migratory songbird is one of only two passerine or “perching” birds in the United States with white eyes. More often identified by the male’s powerful, intricate song than for its plumage, the most opportune time to see a White-Eyed Vireo is during breeding season, from April to July in Texas, when the males may be found high in trees loudly singing for a mate. The vireo’s cup-shaped nests are found attached to tree branches, held together by spider webbing and furtively festooned with lichens, moss, or leaves. Although the small songbirds are unfortunately favored by the parasitizing Brown-headed Cowbirds, with some research indicating up to half of all White-eyed Vireo nests being parasitized, their population appears stable at this time. The male and female share incubation duties, allowing the other time to forage for insects, seeds, and berries. Interestingly, despite its shy nature, the 400,000 year old wing bone of a White-eyed Vireo is famously known for being the only fossil record in North America for the entire Vireonidae family.

Plateau Land & Wildlife Management provides services and products for rural landowners throughout the Texas Hill Country and beyond. For more information, visit www.PlateauWildlife.com. 

 Photo of White-eyed Vireo by Lee Kothmann.